Hear Roy Orbison’s Demo For ‘Windsurfer’ (Song Premiere)

Demo songs are generally intended for musicians’ reference early in the process of making an album, which means they’re usually simple guideposts that lack the polish of the finished versions. Yet a demo can be an instructive example of how a tune evolves or, sometimes, a display of raw talent by an artist like Roy Orbison. Speakeasy today premieres a previously unreleased demo of Orbison’s “Windsurfer,” from a coming 25th anniversary deluxe reissue of his posthumous 1989 album “Mystery Girl.”

With faint, warbling acoustic guitar and scratchy vocals, the demo is a pale shade of the lush version that ended up on “Mystery Girl,” an album Orbison finished recording just a few weeks before his death of a heart attack in December 1988. Yet his vocal power and mastery of harmony are very much evident, and it’s not such a vast leap from the demo to the finished track.

“Windsurfer” is one of eight demos on the deluxe reissue of “Mystery Girl,” which also features a new song, “The Way Is Love,” that pairs a restored Orbison vocal with newly recorded guitar, bass and drums played by the singer’s sons, Roy Jr., Alex and Wesley. The trio oversees Orbison’s estate as Roy’s Boys LLC. The reissue also comes with a DVD containing an hour-long documentary about the making of “Mystery Girl” and eight music videos.

The deluxe reissue, and an expanded audio-only version of “Mystery Girl” that adds five bonus tunes to the original 10 songs, are due May 19. A double-LP vinyl set will be released June 10.

What do you think of the demo version of “Windsurfer?” Leave your thoughts in the comments.